The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI (−5,800), followed by Colorado Springs, CO (−4,400), and Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (−3,500).

The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment was reported in Lafayette, LA (where employment increased by 13,200 jobs or 8.5 percent), followed by Elkhart-Goshen, IN (+7.3 percent), and Columbus, IN (+7.2 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was reported in Lawton, OK (−3.9 percent), followed by Auburn-Opelika, AL, and Dalton, GA (−3.8 percent each), and Las Cruces, NM (−3.7 percent).

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 36 of the 37 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2011. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas were posted in Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX (+3.6 percent); Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (+3.5 percent each); and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (+3.1 percent). The only large metropolitan area that reported a percentage decrease was Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI (−0.7 percent).

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. These data are not seasonally adjusted. See "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — October 2012" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-2324, to learn more.